Grain Cart With Folding Auger Having Adjustable Elevation

ABSTRACT

According to one aspect, a cart for transporting and conveying agricultural materials is provided. The cart includes a frame and a plurality of wheels coupled with the frame. The cart further includes a bin supported on the frame and including a plurality of bin walls defining a storage space for an agricultural material. The cart further includes a conveyor assembly having an intake end configured to receive agricultural material from the bin and a discharge end configured to discharge agricultural material, the conveyor assembly including a lower conveyor section, an intermediate conveyor section, and an upper conveyor section. The lower conveyor section includes a lower conveyor housing and a lower conveyor extending within the lower conveyor housing, the intermediate conveyor section includes an intermediate conveyor housing, and the upper conveyor section includes an upper conveyor housing and an upper conveyor extending within the upper conveyor housing. The cart further includes a folding assembly coupled to an end of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a fold axis, the folding assembly configured to move the upper conveyor section between a stored position and an operating position. The cart further includes a tilting assembly coupled to an end of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a tilt axis, the tilting assembly configured to pivot the upper conveyor section relative to the tilt axis when the upper conveyor section is in the operating position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/231,166, filed on Mar. 31, 2014, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/190,311, filed on Jul. 25, 2011, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,702,368; and claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 61/982,693, filed on Apr. 22, 2014, whichare incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally directed to carts for transportingagricultural materials and specifically directed to a grain cart with afolding auger having adjustable elevation.

2. Discussion of the Background Art

Carts, such as grain carts, can be used to shorten harvesting time byimproving the efficiency of harvesting equipment such as combines. Suchcarts can, for example, be used to transport grain from harvesters orcombines in the field to grain trucks or bins at the side of the field.Carts are often preferred for use compared to grain bins or grain trucksbecause grain bins are typically immobile and grain trucks typically donot perform well in muddy or rough field conditions and have thepotential to spark fires in dry fields. Carts usually comprise a bin(i.e., hopper or box) sitting atop a wheeled frame in combination withan auger means or mechanism for unloading grain from the bin. Carts canbe designed to handle soft or rough fields with ease and can be designedto be drawn by a tractor alongside a combine that unloads its contentsinto the cart. Carts can be used to enable a combine to continue toharvest while unloading the grain into the cart. This grain unloadingarrangement can increase productivity dramatically because combines neednever stop to unload. In addition, it is not necessary for the combinesthemselves to travel to grain trucks or bins at the side of the fieldeach time the combine is full. After a cart is loaded with grain orother material by one or more combines, the grain is unloaded from thecart into a bin for temporary storage or into a waiting grain truck fortransport to another location, such as a grain elevator. Because cartsoffer a combination of economy, versatility, production savings, andmaneuverability, they have been widely accepted by farmers and widelyproduced by equipment manufacturers.

Carts capable of unloading grain directly into a grain truck or binoften use a conveyor to do so. Often the conveyor is in the form of anauger. Various auger configurations are known. Auger structures can, forexample, be contained inside the hopper structure, located entirelyoutside of it, or in another desired location. Auger configurations can,for example, have a single auger or multiple augers. The auger structurecan, for example, be located at the front, side, back, corner, oranother desired location of the cart.

In auger configurations having an auger that extends through the hoppersuch that there is an auger structure contained inside the hopperstructure, grain removal from the hopper can be significantly impairedbecause internal auger structures can hinder downward grain flow, leakgrain into the sump causing a high start-up torque, and lessen the depthof the hopper sump area. Therefore, it is often desirable that the augerstructure be located entirely outside of the hopper.

A double auger configuration can have, for example, a lower auger and anupper auger. The lower auger can, for example, receive material from thehopper and deposit it into the upper auger. The upper auger can then,for example, carry the material received from the lower auger anddeposit it into a trailer, such as a grain trailer. Triple augerconfigurations are also known, which can include, for example, a lower,horizontally disposed drag auger, a vertically disposed lift auger, andan upper, horizontally disposed discharge auger.

One type of auger configuration is a corner auger. A corner auger canextend outward and upward from a lowermost portion of the hopper along acorner of the hopper. A folding, auger can, for example, include aretractable section that can be pivoted to a compact, folded positionduring non-use or travel and to an extended, unfolded position duringuse.

In some carts, the height at which material is discharged cannot beadjusted to accommodate trailers, trucks and bins of different heights.As a result, these carts could either be incompatible with tallcontainers or would need to be designed to accommodate the highestcontainer that they would be expected to encounter. However, when such agrain cart is used with a shorter container, a gap between thedispensing end of the auger and the container can be created. Becausematerial, such as grain, can often be light and susceptible to beingblown away in windy conditions, such a gap can increase the amount ofmaterial that spills from the auger while attempting to unload thematerial into the container. Therefore, it can often be desirable forthe elevation at which a cart discharges material to be adjustable.There exists a need for a cart having an auger, such as a corner augercart, with adjustable elevation that can efficiently unload materialinto a container. Several examples of adjustable elevation augers aredisclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2010/0254792 (“Grain wagon withexternal lift auger”), the content of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides for a grain cart having a bin forstoring agricultural material and a folding conveyor with a uniqueadjustable elevation configuration for discharging material from thebin. This conveyor configuration can, for example, provide for lessdamaged grain and more grain visibility provided, while reducing theamount of lost grain. In some embodiments, the grain cart can include aconveyor assembly having an upper conveyor section coupled to a lowerconveyor section via an intermediate conveyor section or junction box.The lower conveyor section may include a lower housing containing afirst conveyor, such as a first auger, that transports material from thebin through the lower conveyor housing. The upper conveyor section mayinclude an upper housing containing a second conveyor, such as a secondauger, that may be releasably coupled to the first conveyor in anextended operating position in which the conveyor assembly is unfoldedso as to move material from the first conveyor through the upperconveyor housing and out a discharge end of the conveyor assembly. Theintermediate section may include an intermediate housing that ispivotably coupled to the lower conveyor housing to define a pivot jointhaving a pivot axis allowing the upper conveyor housing to be tiltedrelative to the lower conveyor housing to allow a discharge end of theconveyor assembly to be raised or lowered. One advantage of such aconfiguration is that a conveyor assembly can be designed such that itcan tilt about a pivot joint at any desired location along the conveyorassembly. For example, the intermediate section can be positionedmid-way up a conveyor assembly to define a pivot joint that allows acart incorporating the conveyor assembly to be positioned closer to atrailer or other receptacle when discharging. In some embodiments, theintermediate section can further be designed to define a folding jointwhere it intersects the upper conveyor section, the folding joint havinga fold axis positioned to allow the upper conveyor section to be foldedand unfolded relative to the lower conveyor housing (and theintermediate section) between a storage position in which the upperconveyor section is folded back against a side of the bin and anextended or operating position wherein the upper conveyor sectionextends outwardly of the bin from the intermediate and lower conveyorsections.

In another embodiment, the intermediate conveyor housing is pivotablycoupled to the upper conveyor housing to define a pivot joint having apivot axis allowing the upper conveyor housing to be tilted relative tothe lower conveyor housing (and the intermediate housing) to allow adischarge end of the conveyor assembly to be raised or lowered. In someembodiments, the intermediate section can be further configured todefine a folding joint where it intersects the lower conveyor section,the folding joint having a fold axis positioned to allow the upperconveyor section (with the intermediate section) to be folded andunfolded relative to the lower conveyor housing between a storageposition in which the upper conveyor section is folded back against aside of the bin and an extended or operating position wherein the upperconveyor section extends outwardly of the bin from the lower conveyorsection.

According to one aspect, a cart for transporting and conveyingagricultural materials is provided. The cart includes a frame and aplurality of wheels coupled with the frame. The cart further includes abin supported on the frame and including a plurality of bin wallsdefining a storage space for an agricultural material. The cart furtherincludes a conveyor assembly having an intake end configured to receiveagricultural material from the bin and a discharge end configured todischarge agricultural material, the conveyor assembly including a lowerconveyor section, an intermediate conveyor section, and an upperconveyor section. The lower conveyor section includes a lower conveyorhousing and a lower conveyor extending within the lower conveyorhousing; the intermediate conveyor section includes an intermediateconveyor housing; and the upper conveyor section includes an upperconveyor housing and an upper conveyor extending within the upperconveyor housing. The cart further includes a folding assembly coupledto an end of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a fold axis,the folding assembly configured to move the upper conveyor sectionbetween a stored position and an operating position. The cart furtherincludes a tilting assembly coupled to an end of the intermediateconveyor housing and having a tilt axis, the tilting assembly configuredto pivot the upper conveyor section relative to the tilt axis when theupper conveyor section is in the operating position.

In some embodiments, the intermediate conveyor section is disposedbetween the upper and lower conveyor sections and the intermediateconveyor section has a first end adjacent the upper conveyor section anda second end adjacent the lower conveyor section. In some embodiments,the fold axis is positioned at the second end of the intermediateconveyor section and the tilt axis is positioned at the first end of theintermediate conveyor section, such that the upper conveyor section istiltable relative to the intermediate and lower conveyor sections andthe upper and intermediate conveyor sections are foldable relative tothe lower conveyor section.

In some embodiments, the intermediate conveyor section further includesan intermediate conveyor extending within the intermediate conveyorhousing, the intermediate conveyor having a first end connected to theupper conveyor and having a second end configured to mate with the lowerconveyor when the upper conveyor section is in the operating positionand to detach from the lower conveyor when the upper conveyor section isin the stored position. In some embodiments, the intermediate conveyoris connected to the upper conveyor via a universal joint.

In some embodiments, the tilting assembly includes a curved convexsurface on one of the upper and intermediate conveyor housings and aconcave surface on the other of the upper and intermediate conveyorhousings configured to receive the convex surface and to allow tiltingof the upper conveyor section relative to the intermediate conveyorsection. In some embodiments, the tilt assembly further includes anelastic seal member engaging one of the convex and concave surfaces tokeep material from escaping the conveyor housing. In some embodiments,the tilt assembly includes at least one trunnion extending from one ofthe upper and intermediate conveyor housings and at least one bearingassembly on the other housing configured to receive the at least onetrunnion.

In some embodiments, the tilting assembly includes a linear actuatorhaving one end connected to the upper conveyor section and another endconnected to the intermediate conveyor section. In some embodiments, thefolding assembly includes a linear actuator having one end connected tothe intermediate conveyor section and another end connected to the lowerconveyor section. In some embodiments, the folding assembly includes alinear actuator having one end connected to the intermediate conveyorsection and another end connected to one of the lower conveyor sectionand the frame.

In some embodiments, the fold axis is positioned at the first end of theintermediate conveyor section and the tilt axis is positioned at thesecond end of the intermediate conveyor section, such that the upper andintermediate conveyor sections are tiltable relative to the lowerconveyor section and the upper conveyor section is foldable relative tothe intermediate and lower conveyor sections. In some embodiments, theintermediate conveyor section further includes an intermediate conveyorextending within the intermediate conveyor housing, the intermediateconveyor having a second end connected to the lower conveyor and havinga first end configured to mate with the upper conveyor when the upperconveyor section is in the operating position and to detach from theupper conveyor when the upper conveyor section is in the storedposition. In some embodiments, the intermediate conveyor is connected tothe lower conveyor via a universal joint.

In some embodiments, the tilting assembly includes a curved convexsurface on one of the lower and intermediate conveyor housings and aconcave surface on the other of the lower and intermediate conveyorhousings configured to receive the convex surface and to allow tiltingof the intermediate conveyor section relative to the lower conveyorsection. In some embodiments, the tilt assembly further includes anelastic seal member engaging one of the convex and concave surfaces tokeep material from escaping the conveyor housing. In some embodiments,the tilt assembly includes at least one trunnion extending from one ofthe lower and intermediate conveyor housings and at least one bearingassembly on the other housing configured to receive the at least onetrunnion. In some embodiments, the tilting assembly includes a linearactuator having one end connected to the lower conveyor section andanother end connected to the intermediate conveyor section. In someembodiments, the folding assembly includes a linear actuator having oneend connected to the upper conveyor section and another end connected toone of the lower conveyor section, the intermediate conveyor section,and the frame.

In some embodiments, the cart is configured to be pulled by a tractorand the tilt and fold assemblies are configured to be controlledremotely from the tractor by a control system. In some embodiments, thecontrol system is configured to only move the upper conveyor section tothe stored position when the upper conveyor section is in a predefinedtilt position. In some embodiments, the control system is configured toautomatically move the upper conveyor section to a suitable tiltposition before moving the upper conveyor section to the storedposition.

In some embodiments, the upper conveyor section in the stored positionextends along a side of the bin. In some embodiments, the upper conveyorsection in the stored position extends along a front of the bin. In someembodiments, the upper conveyor is coupled to the lower conveyor via auniversal joint when the upper conveyor section is in the operatingposition. In some embodiments, the tilt axis and the fold axis are indifferent planes. In some embodiments, the tilt axis and the fold axisare disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate conveyor section. Insome embodiments, the wheels are part of track assemblies comprisingcontinuous belts looped around said wheels.

Other features and advantages of embodiments of the invention willbecome apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiments and theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form partof the specification, illustrate embodiments and, together with thedetailed description, serve to explain the principles of the inventionand to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention.In the drawings, like reference numbers are used to indicate identicalor functionally similar elements.

FIG. 1A is a corner view of an embodiment of a cart with an adjustableelevation auger in its elevated position.

FIG. 1B is a corner view of an embodiment of a cart with an adjustableelevation auger in its lowered position.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of a cart showing the adjustableelevation auger in both its elevated and lowered positions.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pivoting junctionbox, auger, auger housing and flap of a cart.

FIG. 4 is side view of an embodiment of a pivoting junction box, auger,auger housing and bin of a cart.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pivoting junctionbox, auger, auger housing, bin and elastic seal member of a cart.

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are cross-sectional views of an embodiment of apivoting junction box, bin and elastic seal member and respectively showthe elastic seal member when the auger is an intermediate position,elevated position, and lowered position. FIG. 6D is a cross-sectionalview of an embodiment of a pivoting junction box, bin and hard sealmember and shows the hard seal member when the auger is in an elevatedposition.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are side views of an embodiment of a pivoting junctionbox, auger, auger housing and flap of a cart and respectively show therelationship of the flap with a flange of the auger housing when theauger is in an elevated position and in a lowered position.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a cart in accordance with an embodiment withits conveyor assembly in an elevated position.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the cart of FIG. 8 with its conveyor assemblyin a lowered position.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of section A of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of section B of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is an exploded side view of the conveyor assembly of the graincart of FIG. 9 with certain parts removed for clarity.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of section C of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a side view of an assembled conveyor assembly of FIG. 9.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 14along line D-D.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a cart in accordance with an embodiment withits conveyor assembly in an elevated position.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of section E of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a side view of the cart of FIG. 16 with its conveyor assemblyin a lowered position.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of section F of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a front view of the cart of FIG. 16 with its conveyorassembly in an elevated position.

FIG. 21 is a front view of the cart of FIG. 16 with its conveyorassembly in a lowered position.

FIG. 22 is a side view of the cart of FIG. 16 with its conveyor assemblyin a folded position.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of section G of FIG. 23.

FIG. 24 is a top perspective view of the cart of FIG. 16 with itsconveyor assembly in a folded position.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of section H of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a side perspective view of the cart of FIG. 16 with itsconveyor assembly in a folded position.

FIG. 27 is an enlarged view of section I of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is an exploded side view of the conveyor assembly of the graincart of FIG. 16 with certain parts removed for clarity.

FIG. 29 is an enlarged view of section J of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is an assembled partial section side view of the conveyorassembly of the grain cart of FIG. 16 with certain parts removed forclarity.

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 30along line K-K.

FIG. 32 is another side view of the conveyor assembly of the grain cartof FIG. 16 with certain parts removed for clarity.

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 32along line L-L.

FIG. 34 is an exploded view of a portion of a conveyor assembly inaccordance with another embodiment with certain parts removed forclarity.

FIG. 35 is an assembled view of the portion of the conveyor assembly ofFIG. 34.

FIG. 36 is a photograph of an exemplary universal joint for use with aconveyor assembly of one or more grain carts described herein.

FIG. 37 is a front view of a cart in accordance with an embodiment withits conveyor assembly in an untilted or elevated operating position.

FIG. 38 is a side view of the cart of FIG. 37 with its conveyor assemblyin an untilted or elevated operating position.

FIG. 39 is a front view of the cart of FIG. 37 with its conveyorassembly in a tilted operating position.

FIG. 40 is a side view of the cart of FIG. 37 with its conveyor assemblyin a tilted operating position.

FIG. 41 is a front view of the cart of FIG. 37 with its conveyorassembly in a folded storage position.

FIG. 42 is a side view of the cart of FIG. 37 with its conveyor assemblyin a folded storage position.

FIG. 43 is an enlarged sectional view of the conveyor assembly takenthrough section A-A of FIG. 37.

FIG. 44 is an enlarged sectional view of the conveyor assembly takenthrough section B-B of FIG. 37.

FIG. 45 is an enlarged sectional view of the conveyor assembly takenthrough section C-C of FIG. 39.

FIG. 46 is an exploded side view of the conveyor assembly of a graincart according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 47 is an enlarged view of section C of FIG. 46.

FIG. 48 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an embodiment of theconveyor assembly of FIG. 46.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, anumber of illustrative embodiments are described herein with theunderstanding that the present disclosure is to be considered asproviding examples and not intended to limit the invention to thepreferred embodiments described and/or illustrated herein.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a grain cart 100. Cart 100 has a frame 101supported by a plurality of wheels 102. Frame 101 supports a bin 103having a plurality of bin walls 104. The bin walls 104 define a storagespace converging at the opening of a sump 105. A junction box 106 ispivotably mounted to bin 103 at the opening of sump 105. An augerhousing 107 is connected to and extends upwardly from pivoting junctionbox 106 along a corner of bin 103.

The auger housing 107 has a lower auger housing 108 and an upper augerhousing 109. Lower auger housing 108 is pivotably secured to upper augerhousing 109 such that the upper auger housing is pivotable between anextended position, in which said upper auger housing is substantially inalignment with said lower auger housing, and a retracted position, inwhich said upper auger housing folds along an outer surface of bin 103.For example, in the retracted position, the upper auger housing may bedisposed along the outer surface of bin 103 in a substantiallyhorizontal direction.

A lift assembly 110 is connected between auger housing 107 and frame 101and is movable to cause the auger housing 107 to pivot with pivotingjunction box 106 between an elevated position, as shown in FIG. 1A, anda lowered position, as shown in FIG. 1B. Furthermore, FIG. 2 illustratesa side view of the cart 100 with the auger housing 107 both in itselevated and lower positions. Lift assembly 110 may include, forexample, a piston.

Cart 100 may be configured to be pulled by a tractor, and lift assembly110 may be configured to be controlled remotely from a cab of thetractor. Bin 103 may be configured to hold material, such as grain orseed.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the details of pivoting junction box 106, sump 105and auger housing 107 of cart 100 having an adjustable elevation auger.Pivoting junction box 106 includes a closed bottom 401, sides 301 and aback wall 302. Pivoting junction box 106 also includes an open top. Theopen top of pivoting junction box 106 is located at the opening of sump105. Junction box 106 is pivotably secured to bin 103 via a hinge 303.For example, hinge 303 may pivotably secure a top edge of back wall 302of junction box 106 to bin 103.

An auger 304 extends through auger housing 107. Auger 304 has an intakeend 305 disposed within pivoting junction box 106 at the opening of sump105. Intake end 305 of auger 304 is rotatably secured to back wall 302of pivoting junction box 106.

Lower auger housing 108 of auger housing 107 includes a flange 306 thatconnects lower auger housing 108 to pivoting junction box 106. A flap307 extends from bin 103 to an upper edge of flange 306. Flap 307 may bemounted on a bin wall of the plurality of bin walls 104. Flap 307includes a top edge 308 attached to the bin wall and a free bottom edge309. The top edge 308 of flap 307 can be attached to bin 103 using anysuitable fasteners, which may include rivets and/or bolts. Flap 307 alsoincludes side edges 310 and may include wings 311 extending from sideedges 310. Wings 311 may have a triangular shape and may extendperpendicular to a planar surface of flap 307.

Flap 307 extends into pivoting junction box 106 to guide material in bin103 into the pivoting junction box 106. The upper edge of flange 306 isconfigured to slide against flap 307 as junction box 106 pivots. Lowerauger housing 108 may be offset from the center of flange 306 to ensureoverlapping contact between flap 307 and flange 306 when the augerhousing 107 is in the elevated position and slight overlap in thelowered position. Flap 307 is configured to be sufficiently stiff toprevent being pushed, by the weight of material flowing from bin 103into pivoting junction box 106, over flange 306 but flexible enough tomove with flange 306 as the elevation of auger 304 is adjusted. Forexample, flap 307 may be a rubber flap, and, more particularly, may bemade of masticated rubber. However, flap 307 may be constructed of anysuitable material.

On each of the opposite sides of pivoting junction box 106, a gap existsbetween side 301 and bin 103. Seal members 501 are disposed in the gapsbetween sides 301 of junction box 106 and bin 103. For example, a firstelastic seal member 501 may be disposed between one of sides 301 and bin103, and second elastic seal member 501 may be disposed between theother of sides 301 and bin 103

FIGS. 6A-6C show a cross-sectional view of an elastic seal member 501according to one embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, a pair of sealsupport plates 601 may extend away from back wall 302 of junction box106 on each of opposite sides 301 of junction box 106, and, for eachpair of seal support plates 601, at least one of the elastic sealmembers 501 may extend along the bin 103 in parallel with the sealsupport plates 601. Further, each of the elastic seal members 501 may bebiased toward pivoting junction box 106 using one or more springs 602.For example, the one or more springs 602 may be helical coil springs orleaf springs. FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show an elastic seal member 501 whenauger 304 is in an intermediate position, elevated position and loweredposition, respectively.

In some embodiments, the seal members 501 may be designed to bedifficult to bend (e.g., made of a hard rubber, plastic, or othermaterial). Accordingly, the hard seal members 501 remain straight andslide against the bin 103 as the junction box 106 pivots. Here, thesprings 602 may be biased towards bin 103 and keep the seal members 501in contact with bin 103. FIG. 6D shows a cross-sectional view of a hardseal member 501 when the auger is in an elevated position in accordancewith this alternative embodiment.

In addition, pivoting junction box 106 may include a clean out door 402.

In operation, lift assembly 110 may be used to cause the auger housing107 to pivot with junction box 106 between a lowered position and anelevated position. Hinge 303 forms a pivot axis about which junction box106 pivots. The auger housing 107 pivots with junction box 106 about thepivot axis formed by hinge 303 between the lowered and elevatedpositions. Cart 100 may be pulled by a tractor, and lift assembly 110may be controlled remotely from a cab of the tractor. Because augerhousing 107 may be pivoted between the lowered and elevated positions,the auger housing 107 may be adjusted to the lowered position, to theelevated position and to any position in between. In other words, insome embodiments, an operator is not limited to choosing solely betweenthe elevated position and the lowered position and may also choose anyposition between the elevated and lowered positions.

Flap 307, which may include wings 311, guides material in bin 103 intothe pivoting junction box 106. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the upperedge of flange 306 slides against flap 307 as junction box 106 pivots.FIG. 7A shows flap 307 resting on flange 306 when auger housing 107 isin the elevated position. As auger housing 107 and junction box 106pivot to the lowered position, auger housing 107 moves away from bin103, and the upper edge of flange 306 slides against flap 307. FIG. 7Bshows the relationship between flap 307 and flange 306 when augerhousing 107 is in the elevated position. Here, the free bottom edge 309of flap 307 rests in proximity to the upper edge of flange 306. Still,flap 307 is stiff enough to prevent being pushed over flange 306 by thematerial from bin 103.

Elastic seal members 501 disposed in the gaps between opposite sides 301of pivoting junction box 106 and bin 103 maintain a seal between sides301 and bin 103 when as auger 304, auger housing 107 and junction box106 pivot between a lowered position and an elevated position. Bymaintaining the seal between sides 301 and bin 103, elastic seal members501 prevent material, such as grain, in bin 103 from falling through thegaps before entering junction box 106 within the opening of sump 105 atbottom of bin 103.

Pivoting of auger housing 107 and junction box 106 enables the height ofa discharge end 111 of auger 304 to be adjusted. Adjusting the height ofdischarge end 111 of auger 304 enables the height of the discharge end111 to more closely match the height of a trailer into which materialfrom the storage space of bin 103 is to be unloaded. Accordingly, thegap between discharge end 111 of auger 304 and the trailer is minimized,thereby minimizing loss of material from the storage space of bin 103due to wind during unloading. Moreover, the adjustable elevation makesit easier for operators to position the chute over the trailer.

In one embodiment, the elevation of discharge end 111 of auger 304 maybe adjusted from about 126 inches in a lowered position to about 161inches in an elevated position. The two heights correspond to commontrailer heights. The taller trailer is known as a Super B trailer, andthe shorter trailer is a standard North American trailer. By moreclosely matching the height of the discharge end 111 to the height ofthe trailer, the gap between them is minimized thereby minimizing grainloss due to wind during the unloading process.

FIGS. 8-11 illustrate side views of a grain cart 800 in accordance withanother embodiment. In particular, FIG. 8 illustrates cart 800 with aconveyor assembly 802 in an elevated position and FIG. 9 illustratesconveyor assembly 802 in a lowered position. For clarity, FIG. 10illustrates an enlarged view of section A of FIG. 8, and FIG. 11illustrates an enlarged view of section B of FIG. 9. As describedfurther herein, cart 800 can include a bin 804, frame 806, sump 808, andconveyor assembly 802.

It is appreciated that cart 800 can include one or more features ofgrain cart 100 or other grain carts described herein. As but oneexample, cart 800 does not depict wheels attached to the frame 806,however, it is appreciated that one or more wheels, such as wheels 102depicted in FIG. 1A, can be attached to the frame of cart 800 or anyother grain carts described herein. In some embodiments, cart 800 caninclude another suitable vehicle propulsion system, such as a trackassembly comprising a continuous belt or track looped around wheels.Similarly, one or more components of cart 800 can include one or moreaspects of a corresponding one or more components of cart 100 or anothergrain cart described herein. As but one example, bin 804 of cart 800 caninclude one or more aspects of bin 103 described herein, such as beingconfigured to hold material, such as grain. One of skill in the artwould appreciate that various modifications and changes may be made tocart 800 in view of cart 100 or other carts described herein, or aspectsof cart 100 or other carts described herein can be included in cart 800,unless expressly stated otherwise.

Frame 806 can be designed to support the various components of cart 800.Frame 806 can include a hitch 810 at a front end in order to couple cart800 to a tractor or other vehicle to allow cart 800 to be towed. In someembodiments, cart 800 can be self-powered. Frame 806 can incorporateaspects of other frames described herein, such as for example frame 101.

Bin 804 is supported by frame 806 and includes a plurality of bin walls812. Bin 804 and bin walls 812 can incorporate aspects of other bins andbin walls described herein, such as for example bin 103 and bin walls104. Bin 804 and bin walls 812 can, for example, be configured tosecurely hold material, such as grain or seed, and to funnel suchmaterial into a sump located at a bottom of bin 804.

Sump 808 is configured to receive material, such as grain, from the binand to position this material such that conveyor assembly 802 can conveythe material away from bin 804. Sump 808 can incorporate aspects ofother sumps described herein, such as for example sump 105. Sump 808 caninclude a clean out door and a corresponding clean out door opening 814,which can include one or more aspects of other clean out doors andcorresponding openings described herein, such as for example clean outdoor 402. The clean out door for sump 808 is not shown in FIG. 8 inorder to illustrate a lower conveyor 816 housed within conveyor assembly802. As described further herein, lower conveyor 816 can be in the formof an auger as depicted in FIG. 8. In some embodiments, lower conveyor816 can be in the form of another suitable conveyor type for a graincart, such as a suitable belt conveyor.

FIGS. 12-15 illustrate various views of conveyor assembly 802. Inparticular, FIG. 12 illustrates an exploded side view of conveyorassembly 802 with certain parts removed for clarity, FIG. 13 illustratesan enlarged view of section C of FIG. 12, FIG. 14 illustrates a sideview of assembled conveyor assembly 802, and FIG. 15 illustrates across-sectional view of FIG. 14 along line D-D. Conveyor assembly 802 isin communication with sump 808 and is designed to convey material fromsump 808 out of a discharge end 818 of conveyor assembly 802. Conveyorassembly 802 can incorporate aspects of other conveyor assembliesdescribed herein, such as for example auger housing 107 and its relatedcomponents, such as the adjustable elevation auger depicted in FIG. 2.

As described in detail below, conveyor assembly 802 includes a lowerconveyor section 820, an upper conveyor section 824 with a discharge end818, and an intermediate conveyor section or housing 822 coupled betweenthe upper and lower conveyor sections. Also described further herein area tilting assembly 826, and a folding assembly 828. As described furtherherein, conveyor assembly 802 is designed to allow upper conveyorhousing 824 to tilt with respect to lower conveyor housing 820 viatilting assembly 826 such that a height of discharge end 818 can beadjusted to correspond to a trailer, truck, bin, or other receptacle.Conveyor assembly 802 can be pivoted between a lowered and elevatedposition, and any position in between. In other words, in someembodiments, an operator is not limited to choosing solely between theelevated position and the lowered position depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9,respectively, and may also choose any position between the elevated andlowered positions. It is appreciated that adjusting the height ofdischarge end 818 of conveyor assembly 802 enables the height ofdischarge end 818 to more closely match a height of a trailer into whichmaterial from bin 804 is to be unloaded. Accordingly, a gap betweendischarge end 818 and the trailer is minimized, thereby minimizing lossof material from bin 804 due to wind during unloading. Moreover, theadjustable elevation makes it easier for operators to position the chuteover the trailer. It is appreciated that conveyor assembly 802 may beconfigured to be controlled via a controller disposed on cart 800, orcan be controlled remotely from a cab of the tractor or other suitablelocation.

In one embodiment, the elevation of discharge end 818 of conveyorassembly 802 may be adjusted from about 126 inches in a lowered positionto about 161 inches in an elevated position. This range of heights issuitable to load most common trailers. The taller height is suitable forloading a tall trailer known as a Super B trailer, and the shorterheight is suitable for loading a short trailer known a standard NorthAmerican trailer. By more closely matching the height of the dischargeend 818 to the height of the trailer, any gap between them is minimizedthereby minimizing grain loss due to wind during the unloading process.

As further described herein, conveyor assembly 802 is designed to allowupper conveyor section 824 to fold with respect to lower conveyorsection 820 via folding assembly 828 at a folding joint 830 such thatupper conveyor section can be folded back against a side of cart 800while in storage, transport, or in other situations. The variouscomponents of conveyor assembly 802 will be described in further detailbelow.

Lower conveyor housing 820 has a lower or bottom end in communicationwith sump 808 and an upper or top end configured to couple withintermediate housing 822 (as shown for example in FIGS. 12 and 14). Inan embodiment, the lower conveyor housing 820 is a tubular member ofcylindrical configuration. Lower conveyor 816 is movably (e.g.,rotatably) disposed with lower conveyor housing 820 to convey material,such as grain, from sump 808 to upper conveyor housing 824. Lowerconveyor housing 820 can incorporate aspects of other lower conveyorhousings described herein, such as for example lower auger housing 108.Lower conveyor 816 can be in the form of a rotatable auger as depictedin FIG. 12. In some embodiments, lower conveyor 816 can be in the formof another suitable conveyor type for a grain cart, such as a suitablebelt conveyor.

Intermediate housing 822 is coupled to both upper conveyor housing 824and lower conveyor housing 820 and is designed to allow upper conveyorhousing 824 to securely tilt relative to lower conveyor housing 820without spilling material such as grain or seeds passing throughconveyor assembly 802. Intermediate housing 822 includes a rounded lowerend configured to sit within a curved recess or cavity formed at theupper end of lower conveyor housing 820. In an embodiment, an upper endof lower conveyor housing 820 is generally longitudinally aligned withfolding joint 830.

Intermediate housing 822 is coupled to upper conveyor housing 824 viafolding assembly 828. Folding assembly 828 is configured to allow anintermediate housing flange 832 (see, e.g., FIG. 15) of intermediatehousing 822 to abut against an upper conveyor housing flange 834 ofupper conveyor housing 824 in an unfolded position, and further allowsupper conveyor housing 824 to pivot about a conveyor fold hinge pin 836(see, e.g., FIG. 13) relative to intermediate housing 822 to positionthe upper conveyor section 824 in a folded position. Folding assembly828 can include a conveyor fold actuator 838, such as a hydrauliccylinder, that is rotatably fixed at a first end 840 (see FIG. 14) tointermediate housing 822 and rotatably fixed at a second end 842 toupper conveyor housing 824. In some embodiments, first end 840 can befixed at a location other than intermediate housing 822 and second end842 can be fixed at a location other than upper conveyor housing 824.For example, in some embodiments, first end 840 can be rotatably fixedon lower conveyor housing 820. As another example, second end 842 can berotatably fixed on intermediate housing 822. Conveyor fold actuator 838can, for example, be a hydraulic cylinder designed to facilitate foldingand unfolding of upper conveyor housing 824. Conveyor fold actuator 838can be configured to lock upper conveyor housing 824 in either anunfolded or folded state as desired.

Intermediate housing 822 is coupled to lower conveyor housing 820 viatilting assembly 826. Tilting assembly 826 is configured to allowintermediate housing 822 to tilt relative to lower conveyor housing 820.When upper conveyor housing 824 is locked in its unfolded or operatingposition, the resulting configuration results in upper conveyor housing824 also being tilted relative to lower conveyor housing 820 viaintermediate housing 822. Tilting assembly 826 can, for example, includea conveyor tilt actuator 844, such as a hydraulic cylinder, that isrotatably fixed at a first end 846 (see FIG. 11) to frame 806 androtatably fixed at a second end 848 (see FIG. 11) to intermediatehousing 822. In some embodiments, first end 846 can be fixed at alocation other than frame 806 and second end 848 can be fixed at alocation other than intermediate housing 822. For example, in someembodiments, first end 846 can be rotatably fixed to lower conveyorhousing 820 or to intermediate housing 822. As another example, secondend 848 can be rotatably fixed upper conveyor housing 824.

Conveyor tilt actuator 844 can, for example, be a hydraulic cylinder forfacilitating tilting of intermediate housing 822 (and thereby upperconveyor housing 824 when upper conveyor housing 824 is locked tointermediate housing 822). Conveyor tilt actuator 844 can be configuredto lock upper conveyor housing 824 in either a tilted or untilted (i.e.,oriented in line with the lower conveyor housing) state as desired.Tilting assembly 826 can further include one or more conveyor tilttrunnions 850 (see, e.g., FIGS. 13 and 15) extending from intermediatehousing 822 along a tilt axis. Conveyor tilt trunnions 850 can bedesigned such that they can be pivoted within a bearing assembly 852secured to lower conveyor housing 820 or another suitable part of cart800, such as frame 806. In some embodiments, bearing assembly 852 can becoupled to a bearing arm 854 extending from lower conveyor housing 820.In some embodiments, conveyor tilt trunnions can be mounted on the lowerconveyor housing and a bearing assembly can be mounted on theintermediate section.

To facilitate the tilting of intermediate housing 822 relative to lowerconveyor housing 820, intermediate housing 822 can include a curvedexterior or convex surface 856 that corresponds to a curved interior orconcave surface 858 of a flared portion 860 of lower conveyor housing820. In some embodiments, flared portion 860 can include a notch 862 toprovide further support for trunnion 850.

The coupling between lower conveyor housing 820 and intermediate housing822 described above can function similar to a ball and socket joint thatallows smooth movement along only a single rotational axis (defined byconveyor tilt trunnions 850). It is appreciated that other couplings canbe provided to allow intermediate housing 822 to be tilted relative tolower conveyor housing 820. In some embodiments, intermediate housing822 can be positioned outside of lower conveyor housing 820 such that acurved interior surface of intermediate housing 822 corresponds to acurved exterior surface of lower conveyor housing 820. The use ofcorresponding surfaces between intermediate housing 822 and lowerconveyor housing 820 can be configured to provide a material sealbetween intermediate housing 822 and lower conveyor housing 820 toprevent material such as grain or seed from escaping when conveyorassembly 802 is in use. It is appreciated that seal members, such as oneor more suitable seal members described elsewhere herein, can be addedto tilting assembly 826 to further seal intermediate housing 822 againstlower conveyor housing 820.

Upper conveyor housing 824 is coupled to lower conveyor housing 820 viaintermediate housing 822. Upper conveyor housing 824 includes a lower orbottom end configured to abut the intermediate housing 822 in anunfolded operating position and an upper or top end with a discharge end818, which can for example be in the form of a discharge spout. In theembodiment shown, the upper conveyor housing 824 is a tubular member ofcylindrical configuration, and an upper conveyor is movably (e.g.,rotatably) disposed in the upper conveyor housing (see, e.g., upperconveyor 827 in FIG. 24) such that a lower end of the upper conveyor isgenerally longitudinally aligned with folding joint 830. Upper conveyorsection 824 is configured to convey material, such as grain, from thelower conveyor section 820 to discharge end 818. Upper conveyor housing824 can incorporate aspects of other upper conveyor housings describedherein, such as for example upper auger housing 109. The upper conveyorof upper conveyor housing 824 can be in the form of an auger. In someembodiments, the upper conveyor can be in the form of another suitableconveyor type for a grain cart, such as a suitable belt conveyor.

Discharge end 818 is coupled to upper conveyor housing 824 and isdesigned to discharge material, such as grain and seeds, into trailers,trucks and bins. Discharge end 818 can incorporate aspects of otherdischarge ends described herein, such as for example discharge end 111.

In accordance with some embodiments, sump 808 and lower conveyor housing820 are designed to stay fixed relative to bin 804 and frame 806. Upperconveyor section 824 is designed to pivot about a tilt axis, e.g., asdefined by one or more shafts (e.g., trunnions 850). Such shafts can besecured by bearing assembly 852, or bushings, to lower conveyor housing820. The mating surfaces between intermediate housing 822 and lowerconveyor housing 820 can be arched, curved or rounded, e.g., as shown inFIG. 15, to allow for a secure tilting motion. The figures providedherein depict a semi-spherical shape, but this shape could instead be aboxed section, and include for example appropriate arched, curved orrounded sides. These surfaces can include a seal of some manner to sealmaterial from escaping conveyor assembly 802. The tilt motion is movedby an actuator, which can for example be a linear actuator such as ahydraulic cylinder. One end of the actuator attached to the uppertilting portion, such as intermediate housing 822, upper conveyorhousing 824, or another tilting portion of cart 800, and the other endcan be fixed to lower conveyor housing 820, frame 806, or anothernon-tilting portion of cart 800.

In the provided example, one end of fold actuator 838 attaches to anupper tilting portion of cart 800, such as upper conveyor housing 824.This allows fold actuator 838 to hold upper conveyor housing flange 834and intermediate housing flange 832 (which can, for example, be in theform of picture frame flanges) in position through a tilting motion ofconveyor assembly 802.

An alternative design can include rotatably fixing one end of conveyortilt actuator 844 to upper conveyor housing 824 and a second end tointermediate housing 822 or lower conveyor housing 820. Depending on thelocation of tilting assembly 826, the folding assembly 828 mayincorporate a linkage to fold the upper conveyor housing from anextended or operating position to a folded storage or transport positionand back. In some embodiments, tilting assembly 826 can, for example, beplaced above a connection point of folding assembly 828 towardsdischarge end 818 along conveyor assembly 802.

The position of intermediate section 822 along the length of conveyorassembly 802 can be determined based on a desired amount of verticalmovement of discharge end 818. Another consideration can include asidewall clearance of a container that the material is being unloadedinto. For example, the lower the intermediate section 822 is positionedalong conveyor assembly 802, the shallower the angle the upper tiltportion will have and vice versa. It is therefore appreciated thatintermediate section 822 can be positioned at any desired location alongconveyor assembly. In some embodiments, intermediate section 822 ispositioned near sump 808. In some embodiments, intermediate section 822is positioned near a mid-point of conveyor assembly 802 between sump 808and discharge end 818. In some embodiments, intermediate section 822 ispositioned near discharge end 818. In some embodiments, intermediatesection 822 is positioned to correspond to an average height of atransport (e.g., a grain truck) used to receive material from cart 800.For example, in such an embodiment, upper conveyor housing 824 can besubstantially horizontal when unloading material into the transport(e.g., a grain truck). In some embodiments, the position of intermediatesection 822 along conveyor assembly 802 can be chosen such that upperconveyor housing 824 is angled downward to discharge material into atransport. In such an embodiment, intermediate housing can besubstantially the highest point of conveyor assembly 802 in such aposition. In some embodiments, a transport rest can be used toaccommodate the folding of upper conveyor housing 824 in a tilted orfolded position.

In some embodiments, a control system with a computer processor and amemory storing computer code for execution by the processor can becoupled to one or more of the actuators and configured to only allow theconveyor assembly 802 to be folded once it is in a predetermined tiltposition. For example, the control system can be configured to onlyallow conveyor assembly 802 to be folded when it is in an untiltedposition. In some embodiments, the control system can be configured toreceive a command to fold conveyor assembly 802 and determine whetherconveyor assembly 802 is in an acceptable tilt position to allowfolding. If the control system determines that conveyor assembly 802 isnot in an acceptable tilt position for folding, the control system canprovide an alert to an operator, which can, for example, provide anindication to the operator to adjust the conveyor assembly to a suitabletilt position. Alternatively or additionally, control system canautomatically move conveyor assembly 802 such that it is in a suitabletilt position without requiring operator intervention. In someembodiments, a suitable tilt position for folding can include thehighest tilted position. In some embodiments, a suitable tilt positionfor folding can include a zero tilt position.

As described above, conveyor assembly 802 can include one or moresuitable conveyors, such as an auger. In the embodiment shown forexample in FIG. 8, conveyor assembly 802 includes a first conveyor inthe form of an auger that is housed in upper conveyor housing and asecond conveyor also in the form of an auger (i.e., lower conveyor 816)that is housed in lower conveyor housing. The coupling section of theseconveyors can include a universal joint designed to accommodate a changein angle through the tilting motion, e.g., as shown in FIG. 36 at 940.Such a universal joint and hanger bearing can, for example, mount to anupper tilting portion, such as upper conveyor housing 824 orintermediate housing 822, or to another suitable area on cart 800. It isappreciated that other joints can be used with conveyor assembly 802 orother conveyor assemblies described herein to provide a desiredmechanical power transfer between a first conveyor and a secondconveyor.

FIG. 16-27 illustrate various views of a grain cart 900 in accordancewith another embodiment. In particular, FIG. 16 illustrates a side viewof cart 900 with a conveyor assembly 902 in an elevated position andFIG. 17 illustrates an enlarged view of section E of FIG. 16. FIG. 18illustrates a side view of cart 900 with conveyor assembly 902 in alowered position and FIG. 19 illustrates an enlarged view of section Fof FIG. 18. FIG. 20 illustrates a front view of cart 900 with conveyorassembly 902 in an elevated position and FIG. 21 illustrates a frontview of cart 900 with conveyor assembly 902 in a lowered position. FIG.22 illustrates a side view of cart 900 with conveyor assembly 902 in afolded position and FIG. 23 illustrates an enlarged view of section G ofFIG. 23. FIG. 24 illustrates a top perspective view of cart 900 in afolded position and FIG. 25 illustrates an enlarged view of section H ofFIG. 24. FIG. 26 illustrates a side perspective view of cart 900 in afolded position and FIG. 27 illustrates an enlarged view of section I ofFIG. 26.

Cart 900 can include one or more components that correspond tocomponents of cart 800 or other carts described herein. For convenience,parts of cart 900, such as for example frame 806, bin 804, sump 808, aswell as elements of tilting assembly 904 (for tilting conveyor assembly902 similar to tilting assembly 826) and folding assembly 906 (forfolding conveyor assembly 902 similar to folding assembly 828) that havesimilar functions as those described above with respect to cart 800 arelabelled using the same reference numbers. However, it is appreciatedthat these parts may have different structures, be positioned indifferent locations on cart 900, and/or may have other differences asare apparent by their depiction in FIGS. 16-27.

Some differences between conveyor assembly 902 and conveyor assembly 802is that the upper conveyor housing 912 is configured to tilt relative tothe intermediate housing 908, and the fold joint 830 is disposed betweenthe intermediate housing and the lower conveyor section 910. In oneembodiment, an intermediate housing flange 832 (see, e.g., FIG. 31) ofintermediate housing 908 may abut against a lower conveyor housingflange 980 of lower conveyor housing 910 in an unfolded position.Another difference in the embodiment shown is that intermediate housing908 has a box-like configuration wider than the lower conveyor housing910 and upper conveyor housing 912. In this embodiment, intermediatehousing 908 includes panels that enclose a junction between upperconveyor housing 912 and lower conveyor housing 910. The panels can, forexample, include hinges that allow the panels to tilt to follow upperconveyor housing 912 as upper conveyor housing 912 is tilted. Tiltingassembly 904 is rotatably fixed at a first end to intermediate housing908 and rotatably fixed at a second end to upper conveyor housing 912.In this embodiment, folding assembly 906 is rotatably fixed at a firstend to lower conveyor housing 910 or frame 806 and rotatably fixed at asecond end to intermediate housing 908.

As shown, for example, in FIGS. 17 and 19, which illustrate enlargedviews of a portion of cart 900, tilting assembly 904 includes a bearingarm 854 fixed to upper conveyor housing 912, and a tilt trunnion 850fixed to intermediate housing 908 that is designed to allow upperconveyor housing 912 to tilt with respect to intermediate housing 908.

As shown in FIG. 16, which depicts a side view of cart 900 with conveyorassembly 902 in an elevated state, a length 914 between the bottom ofdischarge end 818 and the top of bin 804 can be about 34 and ¾ inchesand a length 916 between a left edge of discharge end 818 and the leftedge of bin 804 can be about 19 and 22/32 inches in this elevated state.As shown in FIG. 20, which depicts a front view of cart 900 withconveyor assembly 902 in an elevated state, a length 918 between a rightedge of bin 804 and a right edge of discharge end 818 can be about 123and 7/16 inches in this elevated state.

As shown in FIG. 18, which depicts a side view of cart 900 with conveyorassembly 902 in a lowered operating state or position, a length 920between the bottom of discharge end 818 and the top of bin 804 can beabout 2 and ½ inches and a length 921 between a left edge of dischargeend 818 and the left edge of bin 804 can be about 12 and 27/32 inches inthis lowered state. As shown in FIG. 20, which depicts a front view ofcart 900 with conveyor assembly 902 in a lowered state, a length 922between a right edge of bin 804 and a right edge of discharge end 818can be about 14 and 19/16 inches in this lowered state. It isappreciated that other carts described herein can be designed such thattheir conveyor assemblies provide the same or similar dimensions inelevated and lowered states.

FIGS. 22, 24, and 26 illustrate views of cart 900 with conveyor assembly902 in a folded position, with FIGS. 23, 25, and 27 illustratingrespective views of sections G, H, and I of these figures. As shown forexample in FIG. 23, upper conveyor housing 912 is rotated about conveyorfold hinge pin 836 in order to place conveyor assembly 902 in its foldedposition. In some embodiments, an interior of upper conveyor housing 912and lower conveyor housing is exposed in this folded position. As shownfor example in FIGS. 23, 25, and 27, lower conveyor 816 is in the formof an auger having a shaft 928 supporting flighting 930 for movingmaterial through lower conveyor housing 910. A lower conveyor support932 can be included within lower conveyor housing 910 to position lowerconveyor 816 with respect to lower conveyor housing 910. Lower conveyorsupport 932 can be in the form of a bracket that is mounted at a firstend to lower conveyor housing 910 and mounted at a second end to lowerconveyor 816. Lower conveyor support 932 can include a bearing assembly934 that allows lower conveyor 816 to rotate with respect to lowerconveyor support 932. As shown for example in FIGS. 25 and 27, upperconveyor 827 can also be in the form of an auger having flighting 938for moving material through upper conveyor housing 912. One or moreupper conveyor supports can be included in upper conveyor housing 912 toposition upper conveyor 827 within upper conveyor housing 912. In someembodiments, intermediate conveyor housing 908 includes an intermediateconveyor. The intermediate conveyor can also be in the form of an augerhaving fighting 939 for moving material through intermediate conveyorhousing 908. One or more intermediate conveyor supports can be includedin intermediate conveyor housing 908 to position the intermediateconveyor within intermediate conveyor housing 908.

In some embodiments, lower conveyor shaft 928 can be coupled to upperconveyor shaft 936 in the extended position such that rotational forcefrom lower conveyor shaft 928 can be transmitted to upper conveyor shaft936 to cause upper conveyor shaft 936 to rotate. A universal joint 940can be used in such an embodiment that allows the transmission of forcebetween lower conveyor shaft 928 and upper conveyor shaft 936 even ifthe two shafts are not perfectly aligned, such as in the case of upperconveyor housing being tilted by tilting assembly 826. An exemplaryuniversal joint for use with conveyor assembly 902 is illustrated forexample in FIG. 36.

FIG. 28-33 illustrate various views of conveyor assembly 902 of graincart 900. In particular, FIG. 28 illustrates an exploded side view ofconveyor assembly 902 with certain parts removed for clarity and FIG. 29is an enlarged view of section J of FIG. 28. FIG. 30 is an assembledpartial section side view of conveyor assembly 902 with certain partsremoved for clarity and FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view along line K-Kof FIG. 30. FIG. 32 is another side view of conveyor assembly 902 withcertain parts removed for clarity and FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional viewalong line L-L of FIG. 32.

As shown for example in FIG. 33, upper conveyor housing 912 can includea rounded or curved portion 924 of convex configuration at a lower enddesigned to be received by or interface with a corresponding rounded orcurved portion 926 of concave configuration at an upper end of theintermediate housing 908. These curved portions can, for example, beshaped to allow upper conveyor housing 912 to smoothly tilt with respectto lower conveyor housing 910 about a tilt axis defined at 850 whilemaintaining a seal between these housings to prevent grain or othermaterial from escaping conveyor assembly 902. In some embodiments, thesecurved portions can only be present in the tilting direction of conveyorassembly 902 (as shown in FIG. 33), whereas in the non-tilting directionof conveyor assembly 902 (shown for example in FIG. 31), thecorresponding portions of upper conveyor housing 912 and intermediatehousing 908 are substantially flat. Such a configuration can provide foradditional support in the non-tilting direction of conveyor assembly902.

Intermediate housing 908 can fold with the upper conveyor housing 912about a fold axis defined at 836 between an extended position whereinthe upper and lower conveyors are coupled together and a stored positionwherein the upper conveyor section extends rearwardly along a side ofthe bin. Again, in some embodiments, the fold axis can be oriented tocause the upper conveyor section to fold forwardly of the bin in thestored position. Folding of the upper conveyor section can be controlledusing an actuator 838 as described above; however, in this embodiment,the actuator is coupled between the lower conveyor housing and theintermediate housing, e.g., with one end of the actuator pivotablyconnected to the lower conveyor section and the other end of theactuator pivotably connected to the intermediate section. As in theprevious embodiment, the intermediate housing can be positioned atdifferent locations along the length of the conveyor assembly to controla tilt height.

FIGS. 34 and 35 illustrate a portion of another embodiment of a conveyorassembly 946 with certain parts removed for clarity. In particular, FIG.34 is an exploded view of a portion of conveyor assembly 946 and FIG. 35is a partially transparent assembled view of the portion of conveyorassembly 946 of FIG. 34. Conveyor assembly 946 includes an upperconveyor housing 948, an intermediate housing (or junction box) 950, andtwo pivot plates 952 designed to allow upper conveyor housing 948 totilt relative to intermediate housing 950. In some embodiments, a singlepivot plate 952, or more than two pivot plates 952, can be used allowupper conveyor housing 948 to tilt relative to intermediate housing 950.Upper conveyor housing 948 includes two substantially flat lateral walls954 sized to overlap corresponding substantially flat lateral walls 956of intermediate housing 950 when conveyor assembly 946 is assembled. Theuse of overlapping walls 954 and 956 as shown in FIGS. 34 and 35 isdesigned to allow conveyor assembly 946 to be securely tilted in adesired direction (e.g., up and down) while restricting conveyorassembly 946 from excessive movement in another direction (e.g.,side-to-side). Intermediate housing 950 can further include a foldingpivot 970, which can be used with other pieces of a folding assembly toallow intermediate housing 950 and upper conveyor housing 948 to foldabout folding pivot 970 during transport or storage or for other uses.

Pivot plates 952 are used to rotatably secure lateral walls 954 of upperconveyor housing 948 to lateral walls 956 of intermediate housing 950.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 34-35, pivot plates 952 aresubstantially disc-shaped and include a circular stepped surface 958sized to correspond to a circular opening 960 in lateral wall 954 ofupper conveyor housing 948. Pivot plates 952 are secured to conveyorassembly 946 by way of one or more bolts 962 passed throughcorresponding bolt holes 968 in pivot plates 952 and secured tointermediate housing 950. When conveyor assembly 946 is fully assembled,upper conveyor housing 948 is positioned between pivot plate 952 andintermediate housing 950, with stepped surface 958 of pivot plate 952positioned within opening 960 of upper conveyor housing 948. The outerperipheral surface of pivot plate 952 is sized to be larger than opening960 of upper conveyor housing 948 in order to prevent upper conveyorhousing 948 from being removed from conveyor assembly 946. However,stepped surface 958 is sized to create a gap between the outerperipheral surface of pivot plate 952 and lateral wall 956 ofintermediate housing 950 so as to allow lateral wall 954 (and thereforeupper conveyor housing 948) to freely but smoothly rotate about pivotplate 952.

Conveyor assembly 946 further includes one or more seals, such as seal964 and seal 966 fixed to upper conveyor housing 948 or another portionof conveyor assembly 946 to materially seal conveyor assembly 946. Forexample, a first seal, such as seal 964, can be designed to seal alongitudinal direction of conveyor assembly 946. Another seal, such asseal 966, can be designed to seal a lateral direction of conveyorassembly 946. In some embodiments, a single seal can be used to sealboth a longitudinal and lateral direction as well as any other desireddirection. In some embodiments, one or more of the seals describedherein can be attached to upper conveyor housing 948 or another portionof conveyor assembly 946 via bolts, adhesive, or through other fasteningarrangements.

FIG. 36 is a photograph of an exemplary universal joint 940 for use witha conveyor assembly of one or more grain carts described herein.Universal joint 940 is configured to allow a lower conveyor, such aslower conveyor 816 to engage with an upper conveyor 827 to allow lowerconveyor 816 to transmit torque to upper conveyor 827 at various tiltangles. In some embodiments, a grain cart, such as one or more graincarts described herein provides torque to a lower conveyor via a powertake off or other mechanical coupling. The torque from the lowerconveyor is transmitted to the upper conveyor via universal joint 940even if lower conveyor is not perfectly aligned with upper conveyor. Forexample, as described herein, in some embodiments, an upper conveyorhousing may be tilted with respect to a lower conveyor housing via atilting assembly. This tilting can result in a shaft of the upperconveyor being positioned at a different angle compared to a shaft ofthe lower conveyor. Universal joint 940 can include a support 942mounted to the upper conveyor housing (e.g., housing 912). Universaljoint 940 can be configured such that a coupling end 944 of the joint isangled in a fixed direction regardless of the angle of upper conveyorshaft 936. Coupling end 944 can transmit torque to upper conveyor shaft936 via universal joint 940. It is appreciated that universal joint 940can be positioned at another location within the conveyor assembly. Forexample, in embodiments where the intermediate housing is tilted alongwith the upper conveyor housing, such as in conveyor assembly 802, auniversal joint can be housed within the intermediate housing or atanother suitable location. In some embodiments, a third conveyor, suchas a third auger for example, can be positioned within the intermediatehousing. The third conveyor can be connected at a first end to the upperconveyor via a universal joint such that the second end of the conveyoris aligned with a corresponding end of the lower conveyor.

While the invention has been particularly taught and described withreference to certain preferred embodiments, those versed in the art willappreciate that modifications in form and detail may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example,although lift assembly 110 is shown as connected between auger housing107 and frame 101 in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, lift assembly 110 mayalternatively be connected between auger housing 107 and bin 103. Also,although auger housing 107 is described as having lower auger housing108 and upper auger housing 109 pivotable between extended and retractedpositions, auger housing 107 may alternatively be a single housing thatis not capable of pivoting between extended and retracted positions.

For another example, although the pivoting junction box 106 is shown ashaving a closed bottom 401 that is flat, closed bottom 401 mayalternatively have curved profile that corresponds to the shape of auger304.

Although auger 304 is illustrated as being a corner auger located at thefront left corner of bin 103 of cart 100, auger 304 may alternatively bea corner auger located any corner of bin 103. Further, the invention isalso applicable to carts having an auger that is not a corner auger.

By way of further example, while the conveyor assemblies shown in FIGS.8-33 are configured such that the upper conveyor section folds to astorage position in which the upper conveyor section extends rearwardlyalong a side of the bin (e.g., a left side), it will be appreciated thatthe conveyor assembly can be configured such that the upper conveyorsection extends across a front side of the bin in the storage position.

FIGS. 37-42 illustrate various views of a grain cart 1000 in accordancewith another embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIGS.37 and 38 illustrate front and side views of cart 1000 with a conveyorassembly 1001 in an elevated operating position. FIGS. 39 and 40illustrate front and side views of cart 1000 with conveyor assembly 1001in a downwardly tilted operating position. FIGS. 41 and 42 illustratefront and side views of cart 1000 with conveyor assembly 1001 in afolded position, where the upper conveyor section is folded across thefront of the cart.

Cart 1000 can include one or more components that correspond tocomponents of cart 800 or other carts described herein. For convenience,parts of cart 1000, such as for example frame 806, bin 804, dischargeend 818, that have similar functions as those described above withrespect to cart 800 are labelled using the same reference numbers.However, it is appreciated that these parts may have differentstructures, be positioned in different locations on cart 1000, and/ormay have other differences as are apparent by their depiction in FIGS.37-42. As another example, cart 1000 depicts wheels 102 attached to theframe 806, however, it is appreciated that cart 1000 can include anothersuitable vehicle propulsion system, such as track assemblies comprisinga continuous belt or track looped around wheels.

Some differences between conveyor assembly 1001 and conveyor assembly802 is that fold axis 1031 is on an inboard side of conveyor assembly1001 so that upper conveyor section 1002 can be folded across or alongthe front (instead of the side) of cart 1000 via folding assembly 1028at a folding joint 830. Also, like conveyor assembly 902, foldingassembly 1028 of conveyor assembly 1001 is located at the intersectionof the intermediate and lower conveyor sections 1022 and 1004 so thatthe upper and intermediate sections 1002 and 1022 fold as a unitrelative to the lower conveyor section 1004. A tilting assembly 1026 islocated at an opposite end of the intermediate conveyor section 1022 topermit the upper conveyor section 1002 to tilt relative to theintermediate conveyor section.

Referring now to FIGS. 43-48, it can be seen that conveyor 1001 alsoincludes a tilting assembly 1026 according to another embodiment of theinvention. The tilting assembly 1026 is illustrated with referencenumbers from cart 800, however it is appreciated that the assembly canbe used in any of the carts described herein, such as carts 800, 900 or1000. Some differences between tilting assembly 1026 and that shown inFIGS. 13 and 14 are that the bearing arms 854 in tilting assembly 1026extend laterally outward from opposed ends of the upper and intermediateconveyor sections 1002 and 1022 and mate telescopically with oneanother. When assembled together, openings in the bearing arms arelongitudinally aligned so that a pivot plate or bearing assembly 952 mayextend through the bearing arms and across the conveyor sections anddefine a trunnion on diametrically opposite sides of the conveyor aboutwhich the upper conveyor section may pivot for tilting. Pivot plate orbearing assembly 952 may, in one embodiment, have a main body 958 ofcylindrical configuration and a circular rim 959 of larger diameter,withtwo bolt holes extending through the assembly and a central shaft orpin 961 extending inwardly from the main body. The main body 958 of thebearing assembly fits rotatably within opening 960 in bearing arm 854 ofthe intermediate section, and rim 958 engages an outer surface of thebearing arm 854. Pivot plate/bearing assembly 952 is retained by bolts962 to bearing arm 854 of the upper section 1002. The upper section 1002pivots about opening 960. The pivot plate or bearing assembly 952 maycomprise an inner collar that fits within an outer collar. Theintermediate housing 1022 may also comprise a curved exterior or convexsurface 856 and the upper conveyor housing may comprise a curvedinterior or concave surface 858. In another embodiment, the intermediatehousing may comprise a curved interior or concave surface and the loweror upper conveyor housings may comprise a curved exterior or convexsurface. A seal 1064 may be mounted between exterior and interior (orconvex and concave) portions of the tilting assembly 1026 to preventgrain from seeping through gaps between the surfaces. In a preferredembodiment, the seal 1064 is located at a forwardmost or endmost edge ofone of the curved surface and spaced rearwardly of the other curvedsurface so that it remains in engagement with the curved surfacesthroughout the range of tilt motion.

Exemplary auger flighting inside the conveyor housing is also shown inFIGS. 43-45. The flighting 930 and 938 can be right-hand or left-handspirals, with standard, short, or long pitch. The flighting blade can bevertical to the center of the housing or inclined to varying degrees(cupped). The flighting blade thickness can be tailored to the materialto be conveyed. The lower conveyor, comprising the lower flighting 930,and the intermediate conveyor, comprising intermediate flighting 939,can be connected by a universal joint 940, in order to transmit torque.

While various embodiments/variations of the present invention have beendescribed above, it should be understood that they have been presentedby way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scopeof the present invention should not be limited by any of theabove-described exemplary embodiments. Further, unless stated, none ofthe above embodiments are mutually exclusive. Thus, the presentinvention may include any combinations and/or integrations of thefeatures of the various embodiments. For example, while the conveyor isshown as an auger with flighting, it will be appreciated that othertypes of conveyors, such as belt conveyors, can be used. Also, whilewheels are shown coupled to a frame in the various embodiments, it willbe appreciated that track assemblies comprising a track or belt loopedaround a plurality of wheels may be used. All numbers in thisdescription and figures indicating amounts, ratios of materials,physical properties of materials, and/or use are to be understood asmodified by the word “about,” except as otherwise explicitly indicated.Dimensions shown in the figures are designated in inches. The choice ofmaterials for the parts described herein can be informed by therequirements of mechanical properties, temperature sensitivity,moldability properties, or any other factor apparent to a person havingordinary skill in the art. For example, one or more of the partsdescribed herein (or a portion of one of the parts) can be made fromsuitable metals, alloys, plastics, and/or other suitable materials.

In the preceding specification, various preferred embodiments have beendescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however,be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto,and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing fromthe broader scope of the invention. The specification and drawings areaccordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictivesense. It is also appreciated that the steps of the various methodsdescribed herein may be performed in any suitable order. These and othermodifications of the present invention are intended to be within thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cart for transporting and conveyingagricultural materials comprising: a frame; a plurality of wheelscoupled with the frame; a bin supported on the frame and including aplurality of bin walls defining a storage space for an agriculturalmaterial; a conveyor assembly having an intake end configured to receiveagricultural material from the bin and a discharge end configured todischarge agricultural material, the conveyor assembly including a lowerconveyor section, an intermediate conveyor section, and an upperconveyor section; the lower conveyor section including a lower conveyorhousing and a lower conveyor extending within the lower conveyorhousing, the intermediate conveyor section including an intermediateconveyor housing, and the upper conveyor section including an upperconveyor housing and an upper conveyor extending within the upperconveyor housing; a folding assembly coupled to an end of theintermediate conveyor housing and having a fold axis, the foldingassembly configured to move the upper conveyor section between a storedposition and an operating position; and a tilting assembly coupled to anend of the intermediate conveyor housing and having a tilt axis, thetilting assembly configured to pivot the upper conveyor section relativeto the tilt axis when the upper conveyor section is in the operatingposition.
 2. The cart of claim 1, wherein the intermediate conveyorsection is disposed between the upper and lower conveyor sections, andwherein the intermediate conveyor section has a first end adjacent theupper conveyor section and a second end adjacent the lower conveyorsection.
 3. The cart of claim 2, wherein the fold axis is positioned atthe second end of the intermediate conveyor section and the tilt axis ispositioned at the first end of the intermediate conveyor section, suchthat the upper conveyor section is tiltable relative to the intermediateand lower conveyor sections and the upper and intermediate conveyorsections are foldable relative to the lower conveyor section.
 4. Thecart of claim 3, wherein the intermediate conveyor section furtherincludes an intermediate conveyor extending within the intermediateconveyor housing, the intermediate conveyor having a first end connectedto the upper conveyor and having a second end configured to mate withthe lower conveyor when the upper conveyor section is in the operatingposition and to detach from the lower conveyor when the upper conveyorsection is in the stored position.
 5. The cart of claim 4, wherein theintermediate conveyor is connected to the upper conveyor via a universaljoint.
 6. The cart of claim 3, wherein the tilting assembly includes acurved convex surface on one of the upper and intermediate conveyorhousings and a concave surface on the other of the upper andintermediate conveyor housings configured to receive the convex surfaceand to allow tilting of the upper conveyor section relative to theintermediate conveyor section.
 7. The cart of claim 6, wherein the tiltassembly further includes an elastic seal member engaging one of theconvex and concave surfaces to keep material from escaping the conveyorhousing.
 8. The cart of claim 3, wherein the tilt assembly includes atleast one trunnion extending from one of the upper and intermediateconveyor housings and at least one bearing assembly on the other housingconfigured to receive the at least one trunnion.
 9. The cart of claim 3,wherein the tilting assembly includes a linear actuator having one endconnected to the upper conveyor section and another end connected to theintermediate conveyor section.
 10. The cart of claim 3, wherein thefolding assembly includes a linear actuator having one end connected tothe intermediate conveyor section and another end connected to one ofthe lower conveyor section and the frame.
 11. The cart of claim 2,wherein the fold axis is positioned at the first end of the intermediateconveyor section and the tilt axis is positioned at the second end ofthe intermediate conveyor section, such that the upper and intermediateconveyor sections are tiltable relative to the lower conveyor sectionand the upper conveyor section is foldable relative to the intermediateand lower conveyor sections.
 12. The cart of claim 11, wherein theintermediate conveyor further includes an intermediate conveyorextending within the intermediate conveyor housing, the intermediateconveyor having a second end connected to the lower conveyor and havinga first end configured to mate with the upper conveyor when the upperconveyor section is in the operating position and to detach from theupper conveyor when the upper conveyor section is in the storedposition.
 13. The cart of claim 12, wherein the intermediate conveyor isconnected to the lower conveyor via a universal joint.
 14. The cart ofclaim 11, wherein the tilting assembly includes a curved convex surfaceon one of the lower and intermediate conveyor housings and a concavesurface on the other of the lower and intermediate conveyor housingsconfigured to receive the convex surface and to allow tilting of theintermediate conveyor section relative to the lower conveyor section.15. The cart of claim 14, wherein the tilt assembly further includes anelastic seal member engaging one of the convex and concave surfaces tokeep material from escaping the conveyor housing.
 16. The cart of claim11, wherein the tilt assembly includes at least one trunnion extendingfrom one of the lower and intermediate conveyor housings and at leastone bearing assembly on the other housing configured to receive the atleast one trunnion.
 17. The cart of claim 11, wherein the tiltingassembly includes a linear actuator having one end connected to thelower conveyor section and another end connected to the intermediateconveyor section.
 18. The cart of claim 11, wherein the folding assemblyincludes a linear actuator having one end connected to the upperconveyor section and another end connected to one of the lower conveyorsection, the intermediate conveyor section, and the frame.
 19. The cartof claim 1, wherein the cart is configured to be pulled by a tractor andwherein the tilt and fold assemblies are configured to be controlledremotely from the tractor by a control system.
 20. The cart of claim 19,wherein the control system is configured to only move the upper conveyorsection to the stored position when the upper conveyor section is in apredefined tilt position.
 21. The cart of claim 19, wherein the controlsystem is configured to automatically move the upper conveyor section toa suitable tilt position before moving the upper conveyor section to thestored position.
 22. The cart of claim 1, wherein the upper conveyorsection in the stored position extends along a side of the bin.
 23. Thecart of claim 1, wherein the upper conveyor section in the storedposition extends across a front of the bin.
 24. The cart of claim 1,wherein the intermediate conveyor is connected to one of the upper andlower conveyors via a universal joint when the upper conveyor section isin the operating position.
 25. The cart of claim 1, wherein the tiltaxis and the fold axis are in different planes.
 26. The cart of claim 1,wherein the tilt axis and the fold axis are disposed at opposite ends ofthe intermediate conveyor section.
 27. The cart of claim 1, wherein saidwheels are part of track assemblies comprising continuous belts loopedaround said wheels.